ramyb

tomspc wrote:EDIT: Agree 100% but apparently Woot is not going to reject this design for those reasons, even though they have rejected many in the past for those same offenses.

I'm not sure why my comment on the matter got deleted earlier, but woot is not rejecting it because it is not clip art and it is not a photo. It is 100% hand drawn, and does not match up with any references whatesoever. It doesn't even come close to matching up, it is only similar in as much as the poses are reminiscent, and that is in no way rejectionable at all, especially considering the ubiquitous nature of the evolution image.

Secondly, I don't think that the propaganda component of this design is necessary in order for it to be understood. I think the idea is 100% clear to anyone who has ever heard of evolution at first glance, so it works just fine outside the context of the derby.

Third, I'm not sure why this would be considered pop culture when references to specific communist propaganda would not be. Pop culture doesn't mean recent culture, it just means popular and often cited, which communist references fall into much more easily. The way I understood the no pop culture riffs rule is related to the science subject matter depicted (eg no Bill Nye as Uncle Sam), but if using things like an Uncle Sam style poster would fall under the category of no pop culture, there would be very few entries left in the derby and I really don't think that's the nature of what woot intended with this theme.

Anyway, I don't think anyone is going to be convinced one way or the other at this point, and I am glad to see that there are many people out there enjoying this design for its intended message. Thanks to all of you, and hopefully my future ideas will be seen as less controversial :P

ramyb

Nekkochan wrote:What science joke am I missing through not recognizing the abbreviation "ChIPs"? Or alternatively, not knowing more about the process of making computer chips? Google has been unhelpful. I assume there must be a joke, otherwise I can't see that the slogan makes sense.

christinepratt

meandsecoya wrote:I really, really hope this prints. My husband is a huge Tesla fan and is constantly going on about how great he was and all the stuff he did that he didn't get credit for. I would love to be able to buy this for him for Christmas.

chachachino

jspickler

tomspc wrote:"No, that's not a Swastika I'm wearing. It's an equilateral cross with four arms bent at right angles. And did you know that it's an ornament that was widely used in the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient India? What? You didn't learn ancient history in school. You're joking, right?"

Yeah, I see how my education can easily explain that to people who might be offended. Thanks for the pointers!

If you are worried about being perceived as racist for wearing this clever design, just don't buy it if it prints. Your persistent rantings on the many flaws you see with the design are not convincing Woot staff to reject it nor are they preventing me (and many others) from buying it if printed. You can be the first to point at me and call me racist next time I head through ATL.

bagpipes100

dunbangel wrote:Its funny because 98% of human DNA does not code for proteins and only exist to protect the other 2% from mutations. So really, 98% of DNA IS junk DNA

Look up the "ENCODE" project. That other 98% is far from junk. And it does more than just protect from mutation. It also regulates how and when that other 2% gets expressed. Even the 'junk' makes you, you.

rowanofrin

BootsBoots

I find this slogan design to be incredibly clever (and slogans are kind of my thing). I'd wear it, and I'm sure no one would think that it's racist. I live in backwoods country and even we have heard of evolution.

Edit: It seriously tickles me that this shirt could be seen as racist. Reading that kind of made my day.

Johndis5

Armed with the knowledge of the derby will not stop hordes of people from calling out something if they thought it could be construed as racist. That's 30% of what people do on the internet. The fact is, no one else is saying it, because no one else is seeing it.

I'm sure this whole thread has inspired people to look at it again and try to see it as racist. Still, nothing.

Also, if Woot! is paying attention, I think it's time to filter the word "racist".

DJTweekNYC

I don't think this design calls for so much outrage. I think it's very clever. In fact, it's the perfect time for it. As far as it being construed as racist, I think you have to be a little racist to see it that way. I think the only people being offended by this shirt are fundamentalists, and that's OK by me. But I have to agree with another person from this forum, if this was a different artist's submission, then I don't think people would be as outraged at all.

tomspc

DJTweekNYC wrote:I don't think this design calls for so much outrage. I think it's very clever. In fact, it's the perfect time for it. As far as it being construed as racist, I think you have to be a little racist to see it that way. I think the only people being offended by this shirt are fundamentalists, and that's OK by me. But I have to agree with another person from this forum, if this was a different artist's submission, then I don't think people would be as outraged at all.

Wrong. This is the first time this artist has submitted artwork since I've started participating in the forums. My only thought about this artist is that they're not as talented as I thought they would be, considering the huge fan base.

I have no issue with photo usage. My biggest issue is with the double-standard. I watched an artist get beat-up and rejected twice last week for the same thing this artist did. The reason was "seems to be a photo". Either it is or isn't. I think the same rules should apply to all.

And I do feel this design can be and probably will be considered offensive, especially by people who are not in on the know. I have posted this design on FB and shared with my colleagues; about 60% found it offensive. The rest either didn't know that it was Obama's slogan or too young to get the black/monkey reference from our history or felt the way you do, that it's clever.

goldenthorn

A bit late, but I want to note: this is a great design that I had somehow missed until orabbit posted it as his choice in the main forum "what I'd pick" thread. I then hopped on over here and voted right quick for this design. It's absolutely, wonderfully, ticklishly lovely and clever and good.

shellbell330

tomspc wrote:Wrong. This is the first time this artist has submitted artwork since I've started participating in the forums. My only thought about this artist is that they're not as talented as I thought they would be, considering the huge fan base.

This is a RamyB shirt. There is always a debate or controversy over one of his shirts. He is also one of the most printed artists in woot history.

uncannyman

Duddles86

I know I'm not the first one to comment on this, but I'm still going to add my opinion. This shirt looks racist. I get the joke, but outside of the derby it looks like something else. Don't believe me? Show it to someone who doesn't know the derby topic (and can't see it on the screen) and see what their reaction is. I'm saying this more for if it prints. As someone who has previously bought Woot! shirts that didn't work outside of the context of the derby topic and as someone who works at a large company that employs hundreds of scientists and still knows wearing this shirt on casual Friday would land me in HR explaining myself, I recommend you don't buy this shirt if it prints.

bshoemate

cbearns

tomspc wrote:I understand what your saying about the PCness of it all and I agree people are overly sensitive these days BUT this is an election year where Obama and that campaign slogan are everywhere. The timing is bad for this design. Keep in mind that there is a long history in this country of white people comparing black people to apes and monkeys. So putting apes on Obama's campaign slogan can and will be misunderstood by many people. This is why it is highly offensive. No one will look at this design as evolution humor. I doubt Ramyb meant it that way however I would not risk offending people by wearing that shirt.

Agreed. I think the racial overtones were unintentional, but are still offensive given the long history of portraying Black and African-Americans as apes.

Obama is an incumbent president. In an election year, "change" means that someone else would be elected. So the "before" would be Obama, the "after" would be the new President. On this shirt, the "before" is an ape and the "after" is a human. Using Obama's campaign slogan invites direct political comparisons.

I dig the idea, but the final product carries all sorts of nasty racist implications. Artist's good intentions aside, I do not believe this shirt should be printed.

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